'''Geontius Took''' ([[Third Age|T.A.]] 2790 - 2920, died aged 130), also called "[[Old Took]]", was the only son of Fortinbras Took I. Gerontius married [[Adamanta Chubb]], who gave birth to thirteen children. One of these children was [[Bilbo Baggins]]' mother [[Belladonna Took]]. [[Third Age 2848|T.A. 2848]] after the death of his father, Gerontius became the twenty-sixth [[Thain]] of the [[Shire]]. He was a friend of [[Gandalf]] the wizard, who gave him a pair of magic diamond studs, Gerontius loved his magic fireworks, too. Gerontius Took reached the impressive age of 130, which made him the second oldest [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] (after Bilbo), that ever lived.

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'''Gerontius Took''' ({{SR|1190}} - {{SR|1320|n}}, died aged 130), also known as '''The Old Took''', was a renowned [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] and twenty-sixth [[Thain]] of [[the Shire]].

After the death of his father in {{SR|1248|n}}, Gerontius became the twenty-sixth [[Thain]] of [[the Shire]].<ref>{{App|Took}}</ref> He was a friend of [[Gandalf]], who gave him a pair of magic diamond studs.<ref>{{H|Party}}</ref>

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Gerontius Took reached the impressive age of 130, which made him the oldest [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] until his grandson [[Bilbo Baggins]] celebrated his 131st Birthday.<ref>{{RK|Havens}}</ref> He also held the record of most offspring, until [[Samwise Gamgee]] bested him with [[Tolman Gardner|Tom]]'s birth in {{SR|1442}}.<ref>{{App|Gamgee}}</ref>

==Etymology==

==Etymology==

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He was called ''The Old Took'' not because of his age, but because of his numerous younger relatives.<ref name="RC">{{HM|RC}}, page 54</ref>

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The word element '''geron''' is Greek for ''old''. The name ''Gerontius'' was not used because of the Hobbit's age, but because of his numerous and younger relatives.

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The word element ''geron'' is Greek for ''old''. [[Wikipedia:Gerontius|Gerontius]] was also a Latin name of the Late Roman Empire, and is one of the very few Greco-Latin names appearing in Hobbit lore.

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==References==

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Gerontius is rendered as ''[[Wikipedia:Geraint|Geraint]]'' in [[Welsh]], found as a royal name in ''The [[Wikipedia:Mabinogion|Mabinogion]]'' and in Tennyson's ''[[Wikipedia:Geraint_and_Enid#Geraint_and_Enid|Geraint and Enid]]''.<ref>[[Mark T. Hooker]], [[Tolkien and Welsh]], p. 133</ref>

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*''[[The Hobbit]]'', [[An Unexpected Party]]

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==Inspiration==

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*''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix C]]: "[[Took Family|Took of Great Smials]]"

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In a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Kloos, Tolkien wrote that when he wrote ''The Hobbit'', he had imagined Bilbo's grandfather to be old, because both of his grandparents were around a hundred years old when they died.<ref name="RC"/>

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*''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', A Long-expected Party, page 54

After the death of his father in 1248, Gerontius became the twenty-sixth Thain of the Shire.[1] He was a friend of Gandalf, who gave him a pair of magic diamond studs.[2]

Gerontius Took reached the impressive age of 130, which made him the oldest Hobbit until his grandson Bilbo Baggins celebrated his 131st Birthday.[3] He also held the record of most offspring, until Samwise Gamgee bested him with Tom's birth in S.R.1442.[4]

Etymology

He was called The Old Took not because of his age, but because of his numerous younger relatives.[5]

The word element geron is Greek for old. Gerontius was also a Latin name of the Late Roman Empire, and is one of the very few Greco-Latin names appearing in Hobbit lore.

Inspiration

In a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Kloos, Tolkien wrote that when he wrote The Hobbit, he had imagined Bilbo's grandfather to be old, because both of his grandparents were around a hundred years old when they died.[5]